Lady Melbourne has a new home!

29.3.09

This dress is old as in I bought it second hand on eBay and it was probably made in the late 1970s, but that I've had it for a few years.

It's been on the blog before, but I cut the sleeves off recently and it's like having a new dress. I've put it on eBay and the Etsy shop but no one wanted it so now I've decided to keep it.

These cute little leather ballet flats are new, I picked them up on sale at Lion in Love in Flinders Lane.

Such a cute shop, reminds me so much of shopping in Hong Kong, just with exaggerated price tags. I got these for $69 but I remember seeing them when they were new for about $100 more than that.

Most of the stuff in the shop is from Hong Kong or China, and I generally love everything but refuse to pay the jacked up prices they ask. $269 for a vinyl bag? I don't think so!

Mainly though I think it's because I've travelled to the place where they buy most of their stock and know just how much they pay for it. I understand capitalism enough to realise that in order to make a profit you add your own mark up to wholesale goods(world bank here I come) , but a $40AUS bag bought in Hong Kong and resold here for $269AUS is ludicrous.

I'd love to know what you all think.

My main ethos when shopping is that I will pay for the quality, whether it is considered a cheap or expensive item. That's why there is everything from Chanel to op-shop in my wardrobe. The label is not important to me, how the garment was made and how long it will last is.

my views on the topic are a bit all over the place actually. i whole-heartedly agree with you, i would only pay that much for a bag if it was good quality leather. mostly i try to steer clear of anything made in china altogether, but sometimes the pull of a $10 dress/top/etc is just too strong! i guess i'm still growing out of my disposable fashion stage - plus, having a student budget can be very frustrating.

i totally agree with you re: mark up on cheap asian imported clothing/accessories. we all know the mark up involved with sourcing second-hand clothes from country op shops and selling them as "vintage" pieces in city boutiques, but to be honest, i think i'm happier paying for that because usually the clothes have superior fabric and craftsmanship that what you'd find brand new in most high st stores (plus, you've got to hand it to buyers at shops like shag, and gertrude st's moustache and circa, who really know how to find great stuff). i really hate going into shops like lion in love or quick brown fox, spying something really cute and quirky and then on closer inspection realising it's completely synthetic and will fall apart after about four wears. or maybe it's just because i have size 11 feet and there's no way in hell i'll ever be able to buy shoes that fit from these shops...!!

Yeah it's not until you actually go to China or HK that you realise how much of a rip off a lot of the garments in those 'cute asian shops' are!I wish I could have the same ethos but I do not have enough money. My mum only pays for 'investment peices' but there are so many things that I just LOVE and well WANT! XXASAB

Markups are complicated. I come from an industry where it is not uncommon to mark imported goods up by up to 1000% (shocking!).You'll find most independant boutiques will mark their products up by around 80-120%. But I think I read on Hayley's blog that stores like Sportsgirl and Diva won't buy accessories from manufacturers unless they're under $1 and then retail them from between $14.99 to $34.99 - absolutely abhorant, IMO.You know importing plays a huge factor when companies like M.A.C's prices are so much higher in AU than in the US, so that is something to consider.So you always have to factor in importing, and also a store's overheads (rent, staff, packaging etc) into the profit margins... a store in Dandenong can afford to charge less for the same item than a store in the CBD. In business there are several ways to work out how to price your product, and unfortunately in the fast-paced world retailing material goods, most people have a minimum markup then mark those products up again by how much their product should cost based on industry standards. Which is why brands like Tiffany's get away with pricing their plain sterling silver jewellery at what they do -- people expect to pay more and do! If you saw a Tiffany's necklace for half the price they'd still be making a profit but you'd think there was something wrong with the product.

Also; I realise that my comment isn't particularly helpful but it does shed some light on the way it all works even though it's not very specific to this particular store!I don't even know what my point was for leaving it. But I just wanted to share what I know, which is probably the same as everyone else!

As far as the Consumerist Regime goes... I support it whole heartedly because I am evil and I crave 'THINGS'. I do often feel cheated by this new trend of "trendy" opp shops where someone has selected all the designer lables, regardless of their look, given them a wash and is now charging $50 for a Gucci T-shirt from the year I was born. That is just stupid.

I think quality is by far the most important thing when buying clothes - why spend money on crap? It's like gambling! Why would you willingly give someone else your money?

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Hi..I totally agree!I'm from Indonesia and I lived in Australia for 2 years. When I was there I saw lots of shops selling bags/shoes/dresses that I could've bought at home for 1/3 or even 1/4 of their price tags.. I think what made those people sell cheap stuff at ludicrously high prices is because people are willing to pay for it.. so, basically they see and take advantage of that opportunity.

You must be curious....

Phoebe is a freelance journalist with a background in fashion design. She hails from her namesake city but has travelled the world and lived in Sydney and London.
After running her own label for 7 years, she now focuses her time on the pages you are about to read, and freelance writing assignments.